Review: My Scheming Brightening Jelly Mask

My love for wash-off masks and my love for eBay auctions collided when I won three generous sample pouches of My Scheming's Brightening Jelly Mask. Then I had so many other wash-off masks to use - plus, I may or may not be addicted to my Skinfood Royal Honey Mask that I just have to use several times a week, - that I almost forgot I'd had this product. Once it jumped at me from my skincare closet, I decided to give it numerous tries before I make up my mind about whether I like it or not.

About the brand:
"Everyone knows that using the right beauty mask is the key to beautiful skin. A specialist in beauty facial masks from Taiwan, My Scheming offers over 40 different facial beauty masks, from collagen to hyaluronic hydrating, so there is something for everyone. The brand is widely popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia." (source)

What this product claims to achieve:
"Mandelic acid is very skin friendly with a mild texture. It helps regulate oil secretion on skin, and provide deep recuperation to purify excess overdue skin cuticles and minimize skin pores. It will remove dullness from skin for a brighter, more translucent and clear skin complexion." (as seen on packaging)

But, let me talk about the packaging before I continue.
It's something I barely ever mention, unless it's really bad. In this case, it's really bad.
When I won three of these pouches on an eBay auction, I thought these were deluxe samples, similar to those of the aforementioned Annie's Way mask. However, once I looked it up, I realized that no, they weren't - the "full-size product" is eight of these pouches in a cardboard box, similar to the brand's sheet masks.

Say what?! Why?! Make no mistake: these pouches are not resealable (like some dog biscuit bags,) and given that I used the contents of one five (if not six) times, I find it hard to believe that someone has a big enough face where they can use the entire pouch's worth in one sitting.
This makes no sense.

Like I do with all the sample batches I buy or receive as freebies, I decanted this product, too.
Then, I tried to figure out how to make it work.

Unlike the aforementioned Annie's Way mask, this is less obviously gel-like. It actually feels like a sleeping pack, to me.
First, I applied a thick layer and waited, then washed it off. (Even in the case of the Annie's Way jelly mask, I really, really didn't get the whole concept of scraping anything off of my face with a spatula. It just sounds terribly harsh, plus it didn't even work when I tried, so I stuck to washing it off.) Sure, my face was slightly softer, but it was nothing to write home about.

The next time, I tried applying a thinner layer, waited, washed off. Getting it off of my skin with nothing but water was easier this way, but the result was similarly underwhelming.

So, the third time, I applied a thin layer, massaged it until I had barely anything to massage anymore, waited, washed it off. This where this product's likeness to sleeping packs comes in, and it actually makes me wonder if it could, indeed, be used as one. (I am not suggesting it should be. Nothing in the description suggests that it's anything else but a wash-off pack.) My skin is very welcoming to this mask, and all that's left behind is a very thin, matte layer, not unlike that left behind by many sleeping packs. When I use it this way, and wash it off after a half an hour, my skin does look a little brighter and is definitely softer than it is with the previously mentioned application methods.

All in all, I will use up the remaining product, but I do not feel like it is anything more than a very mediocre mask, and I will not repurchase it once it runs out.

Recommend? Not really. It is a forgettable product with barely any visible results. The packaging is horrendous and makes absolutely no sense.

Where to buy? The eight-pouch pack sells for USD 13.90 on YesStyle, you can buy a single pouch for USD 2.03 or an eight-pack for USD 13.99 on eBay (with free shipping.)

Yup, a completely different My Scheming mask is featured in the video; a series I'll definitely try.